How fast is the Moon moving as it orbits the Earth? For reference, the Moon's orbit is approximately circular with a radius equal to 400,000 km, and the Moon's orbital period is 27 days.
A) 1 km/s
B) 10 km/s
C) 50 km/
D) 100 km/s
E) 500 km/s

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Moon's orbital speed can be calculated using the formula for orbital speed: v = 2πr/T, where r is the radius of the orbit and T is the period. Plugging in the values (r = 400,000 km, T = 27 days converted to seconds), the speed is approximately 1 km/s.

How Fast Is the Moon Moving as It Orbits the Earth